The second oldest Baptist organization in the South was on the brink of shutting its doors if something didn’t happen soon.

Euhaw Baptist Church in Ridgeland, S.C., formed 331 years ago, had experienced internal friction over the past couple of years, causing its membership to dwindle down to a bare existence.

Kevin Crosby, pastor of Red Dam Baptist Church in nearby Hardeeville, became aware of Euhaw’’s struggles and approached his congregation about taking the church under its wings financially and coordinating worship services with a schedule that would allow Crosby to deliver a sermon at both Euhaw and Red Dam each Sunday. That became a reality on Feb. 28 of this year.

It also led to members of Red Dam and several of its ministries getting involved, temporarily making Euhaw a second campus until the time when the church may once again be self-sustaining. What’s more, a local private Christian school looking to relocate and expand appealed to the church for use of its facilities. Agreements were signed, and at 8 a.m. on Aug. 18, Legacy Christian Academy began classes with 90-plus students — bringing new life to Euhaw seven days a week.

“Some may be asking, ‘why are we doing this?’ The answer is real simple,” says Crosby. “Our purpose at Red Dam Baptist Church is to develop fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. This is who we are, and that is what we do. Therefore, launching the Euhaw Campus in Ridgeland will help us better fulfill our mission, reach more people and increase our impact for the kingdom.”

Based on Euhaw’’s previous website (www.ebc.faithweb.com/Our History.htm), dissenters from Scotland with the Cardross Expedition founded the church in 1684. The site also states that “Euhaw is the mother church to many area churches. Her influence was particularly great in the formative years of the Southern Baptist Convention. William B. Johnson, who later became the first president of the Southern Baptist Convention, was ordained at Euhaw and served as its minister for three years.”

Located at 2576 Bees Creek Road, the Euhaw property features an aging sanctuary built in 1906 that is listed on the National Historic Register, a newer sanctuary built in 1982 that is adjoined to a fellowship hall and multiple classrooms, a parsonage, and several acres of land.

With many of the facilities now in need of repairs and upgrades, a married couple from Red Dam Baptist, along with their two sons, left their Bluffton home to move into the parsonage for a one-year tenure as caretakers — including administrative duties, grounds maintenance and community outreach.

Ultimately, Crosby and his congregants want to see Euhaw’s neighboring communities retake control of their church and stabilize it for future growth, at which time the deed to the property will revert to the Euhaw membership. Already, events such as an Easter egg hunt, Vacation Bible School and community concerts on the church grounds have sparked renewed interest from nearby residents.

Red Dam also has a long and rich history, having gone though its own share of survival woes since its founding in 1895. Nonetheless, it has enjoyed a surge in membership over the past four years (now approximately 500), creating the catalyst to grow its own outreach ministry.

Glenn D. Bridges is a freelance writer and former newspaper reporter and columnist for several South Carolina publications. He serves as the Sunday school director at Red Dam Baptist Church.